Treatment of molten aluminum by gases and more recently by salt fluxes in large melting and holding furnaces incorporating stirring of the molten metal has been proposed. A typical embodiment of such a device is described in the article “Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Furnace Chlorine Fluxing” by Celik and Doutre in Light Metals 1989, published by the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society in 1988 (pages 793 to 800) in which an impeller positioned at an angle within the furnace is used to stir the metal in a holding furnace. A chlorine gas is added though a hole in the shaft and is entrained by the circulating metal and dispersed in the furnace. The article “Improving Fluxing of Aluminum Alloys” by Beland et al in Light Metals 1995, published by the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society in 1995 (pages 1189 to 1195) discloses the addition of salt flux with stirring for treatment of metal in a furnace.
Treatment of molten aluminum using salt fluxes in crucibles (for example those used for transporting molten aluminum) has been proposed. Various rotary devices have been proposed for introducing solids and/or gases into molten metal in such crucibles to perform various treatments. European Application EP 0396267, published Nov. 7, 1990 describes a system for crucible fluxing using a rotary disperser on a vertically mounted shaft into which a gas/powder mixture is fed. The disperser includes an internal structure of compartments separated by blades. It has an open bottom and as such causes metal to be pumped through and ejected from the sides of the rotor.
Another form of device for dispersing flux in a molten metal bath is described in laid open Japanese Application 1988-193136, published Jul. 28, 1988. This includes an annular rotor on a vertically mounted shaft with mixing flutes on the outer periphery thereof.
European Application EP 0395138 published Oct. 31, 1990 describes another device for dispersing materials in molten metal using a rotary system. A salt/gas mixture is injected at the underside of a generally conical injector on a vertically mounted shaft having no blades or similar shearing devices.
Canadian Application CA 2,272,976, published Nov. 27, 1999 describes a system for treatment of smelter metal in transport crucibles to reduce alkalis, by using stirrers on vertically mounted shafts. Various stirrers are disclosed, with blades mounted on the underside of a conical hollow rotor, and also including vertical blades on a portion of the upper conical surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rotary dispersing system for adding a powder/gas mixture to molten metal which is particularly well adapted for injecting a salt flux into molten aluminum in a melting or holding furnace.